MAM
Zee TV climbs to No. 2 spot after a year
MUMBAI: It took one year to happen. Zee TV has climbed to the second spot in the Hindi GEC space, intensifying the battle for the rank below market leader Star Plus in a year that is seeing a lot of volatility in ratings.
Zee TV’s new ranking was achieved despite a drop of 3 GRPs (gross rating points) as the channel pocketed 214 points in the week ended 24 March, TAM data (C&S, 4+, HSM) shows.
Zee TV’s last sight at the No 2 spot was in the ninth week of 2011, with a score of 233 GRPs.
Meanwhile, Star Plus saw a surge in ratings this week. The channel added 31 GRPs to end the week with 318 GRPs (last week 287). The addition can be attributed to the telecast of Star Plus’ home-grown property ‘Star Parivaar Awards 2012‘ on 24 March that garnered 6.41 TVR.
Sony slipped to the third spot of the GEC ladder, after shedding nine GRPs. The channel’s top rated shows C.I.D and Crime Petrol have managed to remain in the ‘top 10 shows’ list. The channel has scored 209 GRPs (last week 218).
Colors has lost 14 GRPs to close the week with 200. The channel launched a social thriller fiction show ‘Chhal Sheh Aur Maat’ on 19 March that opened with 2.5 TVR.
The second GEC from Sony Entertainment, Sab, has maintained its fifth position with the addition of three GRPs. The channel managed to collect 132 GRPs to its kitty.
On the back of Asia Cup’s India vs. Pakistan cricket match, DD1 has fetched 86 GRPs (last week 54). The match clocked an average TVR of 4.72.
Life OK came next with 74 GRP (last week 84), followed by Imagine TV with 62 GRP (last week 63) and Sahara One (43 GRPs), according to TAM data.
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
